


Dynasty

by RobronSugdenDingle



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst and Tragedy, Character Death, Death, Depression, Heavy Angst, M/M, Sobbing, Speeches, Wakes & Funerals
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-14
Updated: 2019-04-14
Packaged: 2020-01-13 04:08:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18461165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RobronSugdenDingle/pseuds/RobronSugdenDingle
Summary: It was funny actually. Out of everything, he survived a gun shot to his chest, he survived a few knocking downs from cars, way too many beatings to count, seizures, survived a car explosion and survived from drowning in a car crash...And all it took was a stupid heart attack.





	Dynasty

**Author's Note:**

> Title from Dynasty by Miia. Play that while listening. 
> 
> Inspired from the scene where Aaron falls asleep at Jackson's grave
> 
> So sorry for making you all cry

It was funny actually. Out of everything, he survived a gun shot to his chest, he survived a few knocking downs from cars, way too many beatings to count, seizures, survived a car explosion and survived from drowning in a car crash...  
  
And all it took was a stupid heart attack.  
  
Out of everything, it had to be a heart attack...somehow it didn't fit. It didn't seem to be a classy enough death for Robert. Wasn't elegant enough for him to approve, wasn't...it just wasn't right. It wasn't Robert.  
  
And Aaron could try and sue the fucking ambulances for as long as he wanted, he blamed them for driving too slow and didn't arrive in enough time. Why was he the one who had to watch his love die in front of his eyes?  
  
First, his boyfriend...now his husband, his future and life. His world.   
  
The funeral was as classy as could be, Robert in a pristine grey polished coffin. Paddy had carried it through on the front right, Aaron on the front left with shaky legs, quivering lips and his hands as close as to the actual coffin themselves, in a way he imagined he was cradling the back of Roberts neck, the way he did when they stayed up during late nights discussing anything that came to mind.  
  
Jimmy was behind Paddy, head down, eyes red. He was pretty close to Robert from day one after all. Cain stood behind Aaron, due to the coffin needing an extra person and Chas demanding that Cain be there to look after Aaron, say a silent prayer. Although Cain had never gotten on with Robert in the very beginning, he may as well use this time to silently apologise and wish him a peaceful afterlife.  
  
Diane stood in the front with Victoria, both dressed in navy, Roberts favourite colour. Diane held Victorias hand throughout the whole thing, upset at the fact that she was here to experience yet another Sugden burial. Being old wasn't fun when you were the one watching everyone you love die before you do.   
  
Liv...she clung onto Chas for as much support needed. She sobbed into her navy dress, soaking the material and Chas had to read the rest of her speech for her. She said her own speech, reminded everyone of Roberts cheekiness, Roberts ignorance at times, but he had good intentions and he was one of the special rare people in her life.  
  
Diane and Victoria had each other's backs, both retelling a story about Robert when he was a cheeky wee lad. Victoria mentioned how he was an amazing brother, how lucky Liv was to have him around everyday recently. How she noticed Aaron changing a scared Robert for the good.   
  
Jimmy retold a whole bunch of work stories with Robert. Even one time when they were in the pub and Robert was so drunk, he told everyone about walking in on him and Nicola several times. That got a couple of laughs. Jimmy might have been seen around the village as one of those...silly clumsy people...but his speech about Robert was phenomenal. He reminded everyone of Roberts hardworking self, his funny scheming self...how even his and Nicolas kids were going to miss their uncle Robert.  
  
Aaron?  
  
He was pretty sure he had actually become mute. He spent his time during everyone's speeches, to hold Annie in his arms, kiss her face while she obliviously laughed. She was always a happy baby, definitely took after Robert with that aspect. Paddy had asked him several times to hand Annie over so he could get a break, but Aaron refused. She was wearing a dress that Robert had bought a good while ago and...it smelled like him.  
  
Harriet did the whole ceremony professionally and thankfully there were no dramatic interruptions. Thank God because Aaron wasn't sure if he would be able to contain his anger if someone had interrupted.   
  
The purple orchids on top of the coffin lay there nicely. Five for their family. One for Aaron, Liv, Robert, Annie and of course Seb.  
  
Seb...now a bubbly seven year old...way too mature for his age, absolutely refused to come to the funeral and you know what? Aaron wasn't going to force him to come. Seb was in complete hysterics over the phone, even in real life when Aaron went over to visit. There's no way he would've handled a funeral.  
  
And finally...the burial...  
  
Aaron was sorted with money, so a headstone would be there in a couple of days with special inscriptions. He watched the coffin lower to the ground, put an orchid in Annie's tiny hand and pointed at the hole in the ground. He whispered to her to put it in and she luckily threw it in first try. She giggled after doing so, Aaron threw his in, followed by Liv, Diane, Victoria, Paddy, Chas and Jimmy.   
  
Chas did ask Aaron afterwards if he wanted her to take Annie, but he refused again and shook his head.  
  
.....................  
  
Losing a loved one was hard, but losing your world honestly was ten times harder. Apparently it was supposed to be easier the more it went on, but somehow that saying didn't fit right with Aaron. He gave Annie to Paddy and Chas to look after for a couple of days, so he was alone in the house. The too big house with Roberts stupid vintage hipster decorating skills...  
  
He had to hang up a shirt in his wardrobe and stopped after his eyes caught a pale blue shirt with a purple floral pattern. He took it off the coat hanger and bunched the shirt in his hands and shoved it in his nose to inhale. It still smelled of him...  
  
His eyes watered right away and he did fall to his knees and bend over, shirt still pressed into his face, now soaked with wet tears, wet screams and wails and...  
  
"Aaron?"  
  
He stopped his hiccups and sat up slightly to look at who had stepped in his bedroom. In his and Roberts bedroom, where the bed hadn't been slept in because it's too big and empty. He really thought about getting a single bed. The shoes he spotted on the floor were black, had a small heel on them and he knew right away that it was his mum.  
  
She tutted and kneeled down beside him to wrap her arms around his back and pulled him in from the side gently.   
  
"Oh love...I know-"  
  
And right away, that comforting spell was over. He shoved her away a little too hard and stood up, Roberts shirt still in his hand and he screamed at her angrily.  
  
"No! Don't you say-! Don't you dare say you know what I'm going through! Don't use her in this!"  
  
"Aaron-"  
  
"No! You can't say you underst-he's gone! Ok?! He's gone! Just like everyone in my life ends up...gone! My...he's actually gone!"  
  
Chas reached out again to hug her son when he pushed by her and stormed downstairs, grabbed a jacket and stormed out. He went straight to the cemetery, saw Roberts decorated grave and he shifted a couple of flowers so he could sit down directly in front of the headstone. Someone had tied a tie on the corner of the headstone, the red tie fluttering in the wind, barely hanging on, but it stayed there.  
  
And he slept there all night and all day and went home to use the toilet and return again to sit in the same spot. After a couple of days, Paddy thought that maybe if Aaron saw that he had Annie again, he would start taking care of himself.  
  
The next day, whilst Paddy and Chas were on their way to Aaron's...they saw Aaron sitting in the same spot again, puffer jacket on Annie as she was resting her chin on Aaron's shoulder, fast asleep.  
  
Chas put a hand on her son's shoulder, taking in his appearance. He was...well, his eyes were some whole other shade of purple, grey and red mashed together. Cheeks slightly hollowed in, beard scruffy and messy, wrinkles appearing on his cheekbones and his hair had gotten slightly longer at the top, curling slightly. There was no other way to describe it. Aaron was empty, that's all there was to it.  
  
"Aaron?"  
  
He shushed her right away and patted Annie's back. She was still asleep.   
  
"Aaron please...you can't stay out here..."  
  
"I'm not leaving him!"  
  
She jumped slightly, surprised at his loud tone, at his cracked voice and...  
  
"You can stay here as long as you want but Aaron, she's freezing. You can't have Annie sleep in the cold..."  
  
He seemed to understand her, held a sleepy Annie in front of him and pressed his cheek against hers. Chas was right. She was freezing cold. But...but he couldn't leave...not yet...  
  
He handed her over to Chas and turned back around to face the headstone. It was shiny compared to everyone else's rocky one, with an inscription that Aaron slightly hated.  
  
'Loved by all'   
  
But Robert wasn't loved by all, was he? His dad was never able to prove himself so he died hating Robert and the way he is. Was.  
  
'Here lies Robert Sugden-Dingle, loving father, brother, husband, uncle and son'   
  
Born 22 April 1986  
Died 16 June 2024  
  
He was only 38...  
  
He wasn't supposed to die...  
  
Roberts shirt lay on his knees, abandoned, a little crumpled, still strongly smelled of him, his stupid smelling shampoo...that Aaron loved...  
  
He pressed the material to his nose and inhaled again.  
  
He wasn't sure when he fell asleep though.  
  
"Aaron...Aaron..."  
  
He stirred from his sleep, opened his eyes to see a pair of sideways shoes in front of him and he didn't bother lifting his head because he had gotten so good at identifying people from their feet now...  
  
"What do you want Paddy?"  
  
"It's...it's not so much what I want...its what i think you need...and i think you need to come back to the pub an-"  
  
"No. I'm not leaving him..."  
  
"Aaron, your daughters in the pub crying for her dad..."  
  
"Her dad's dead Paddy..."  
  
"Her other one"   
  
Aaron looked up at his face slightly. Paddy sat down on the grass beside a wreath of white flowers with a photo of Roberts face in the middle.  
  
"Did she say dad? Or papa?"  
  
"She said dad..."  
  
"That's him...great...so even she knows now..."  
  
Just like that, Aaron was crying again with shaking shoulders, hands clutching desperately onto the ground.  
  
"What do you think Robert would say...if he was here right now?"  
  
"I dunno..."  
  
"What did he say about Jackson?"  
  
"It...it wasn't my fault and-!"  
  
Paddy looked over to Jackson's grave that sat a couple of meters away. He took a breath and exhaled loudly before reaching over to pat Aaron's shoulder. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, rubbed the side of his face to get flakes of dirt off of his skin and crossed his legs. He really was adamant to stay.  
  
"Aaron...you remember what happened with Jackson don't you? What happened after he was buried? You nearly destroyed yourself...we can't have that happen again, especially now. You've got Annie...and Liv"   
  
"Livs staying with Sandra though..."  
  
"I know but-"  
  
"You're right...I can't destroy myself...I already am..."  
  
Paddy watched as Aaron stood up, a little off balance and he rushed around to help him steady himself. Aaron turned to face Paddy and buried his face right into his chest, silently crying and soaking his shirt.   
  
"He wasn't supposed to go Paddy! He wasn't!"  
  
"I know...I know..."  
  
"Tomorrow...tomorrow will be my last day here. Can...can you tell everyone to leave me alone? Have Annie one more night?"  
  
Paddy nodded and agreed to this. Aaron turned to the grave and wiped his eyes with the heel of his hand and sighed.  
  
"I'll...s..see you tomorrow...I swear..."  
  
...............  
  
Just as he promised, Aaron visited the grave again, knelt down in front of it, pulled his hood up and laid down on his side. He couldn't...he couldn't sleep without Robert. Even though it was freezing cold at quarter past midnight, he had to be here. He fell asleep easily, his thin hoodie not doing much for warmth until he felt something warm cover him...  
  
Did someone just throw a cover over him?  
  
His hood suddenly felt comfier than usual and he snuggled into it. Into his new pillow. He felt something nudge his leg, not once but twice and he slowly rolled his body around to see who the hell was...  
  
Kicking him...  
  
"Rob..."  
  
"Come on you, can't fall asleep on me now. I still haven't told you about today"   
  
And Aaron only hugged him in response, arms wrapped around Robert fully, lips pressing themselves into Roberts a hundred times before he pressed his face into the crook of Roberts neck.  
  
"Hi..."

**Author's Note:**

> So was it a dream? Did Aaron die at the grave?
> 
> What happened?
> 
> So sorry for making you all cry.
> 
> Personally, I don't think Aaron would be the same ever again if Robert died. I don't think he'd be able to live without him.


End file.
